Christmas Eve, 1893

            The small orchestra played a waltzing melody from the ballroom, where the adults danced and talked happily.  A small, plain girl of nine sat by the banisters, where she could hear the music and see the beautiful dresses the women twirled so gracefully in downstairs.  Even at such a young age, she knew she could never grow to be one of them.  She was alone as far as she knew, taken in by the good graces of a wealthy Italian family to help clean up after their only son, who was almost a year older than her. 

            Entranced by the beautiful waltz, she snuck into the empty study, lighting one of the lamps.  Even though she never learned how to dance, she loved to pretend she could.  Accepting an offer to dance from a handsome imaginary boy, she swept across the small space, trying to make as little noise as possible in her old, worn lace up boots.  She imagined herself in one of those beautiful dresses, her black hair elegantly styled, and finally looking….beautiful. 

            She heard someone clear their throat near the door.  Her fantasy melted into the lamplight as she spun around.  The ten-year old Italian boy, dressed in an expensive suit leaned against the doorway, laughing at her.  She felt her cheeks grow hot as she tried to push past him through the doorway.  He caught her, and pulled her back into the room.

            "Do you want me to show you how?" he asked

            "How to what?"  The girl responded, still embarrassed.

            "Aw, come on Claire.  Do you want me to teach you how to waltz?"  A shocked Claire blinked rapidly a bit at the boy, before nodding her head.  She was surprised he knew her name, and even more that he would talk to her as if she were a person.  The most contact she had with him was when he told her to grab the laundry from his room or told her to run downstairs and grab him something to eat.

            He removed the jacket of his suit, throwing it over a chair and rolling up the sleeves of his crisp, white shirt.  He walked towards her, and suddenly stopped.

            "Oh, wait" He said running back to his coat and pulling the red carnation from it. 

            He bowed to Claire, offering the flower.

            "May I have this dance?"

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            *claps for her first story* there is a small casting call, for about five people.  I'll need:

vaudeville performers newsgirls any other kinds of characters you can think of

send it in a review if you wanna be cast (please answer!  I would owe you my first born!)

Name/nickname:

Looks:

Personality:

Guy:

Anything else:

***go waaay into detail with this, if u don't mind!!!!!!

Oh yeah….sorry.  Spot and Racetrack are already taken.

email me:

fivefoldr@netscape.net

a1kutekat@aol.com

instant message me:

fivefoldr

love,

*~CABBY~*